The farming sector is in a cyclical boomtime at the moment and we’re all hoping it will continue forever. But we’re not hearing a lot from our farmers as the election date nears. So who better to talk to about that than the host of the most popular farming programme on New Zealand radio.

Jamie MacKay is the host of The Country. He’s a quintessential Kiwi bloke. He grew up farming in northern Southland, is a mad keen rugby man and managed to make a living from farming – firstly as a farmer in his own right for over a decade and subsequently with his own radio show which enables him to talk about farming all day.

He talks openly about the tough times, and how Rogernomics forced farmers out of business in the 1980’s and 1990’s, including his own brushes with financial uncertainty.

MacKay’s career has also given him a decent shot at the business of business. His entry into broadcasting came when he purchased a radio station from Radio New Zealand in the 1990’s. He turned 4ZG into Hokonui Gold and added a farming segment which started off at five minutes duration and over time grew to the hour long programme we know today.

He later sold out of the business, and The Farming Show moved on to Radio Sport and ultimately Newstalk ZB where is remains to this day, rebranded as The Country.

On the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast MacKay speaks to Bruce Cotterill about a wide range of topics, from the original inspiration for the radio programme to the current performance of the farming sector and the positive outlook ahead.

There’s also plenty of talk about what the farmers are saying at election time, their desire for a farmer friendly government to continue, improvements in farm technology, and how we can maximise the future opportunities and grow the economy in the process.

This is a fun conversation with a good bloke, a natural story teller and a man who is positive about the future of New Zealand.

Leaders Getting Coffee – Episode 73 with Bruce Cotterill and Jamie MacKay – Host of The Country on ZB